Rick, I think the smartphone is becoming much more than "the hot item." It's really turning into the center of people's universe. I don't want my car to have navigation or a cd player. I just want it to seamlessly interface with my phone. However, I will take a kick 8$$ amplifier and plenty of speakers, thank you.. I still have a 97 caddy that came equipped with a car phone! Imagine how outdated that is!

I find it interesting that each product touts its usability with a smartphone. It could have just as easily mentioned its usability with a desktop/laptop ... but it didn't.
The concept of a product being an "accessory" to a smartphone is new and foreign to me. I had always believed it to be the other way around.

It is nice to see a good level activity in Japan on consumer-centric devices and appliances. The challenge always remains how fast Japan can bring these consumer-validated products into market in a very price-competitive consumer market!
MP Divakar

Compare these two statements:
- With a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour, COMS can travel 50 kilometers on a five-hour charge. COMS is available for $7,700 and offers all the protection of a motorcycle with an umbrella.
- This car has a top speed of 160 kph, can travel 500 klicks, refuels in 5 minutes (metric or Imperial) for about $80 in 49 states, costs $25,000, protects 5 occupants with $7,700 worth of airbags, and can get you to the Rocky Mountains and up them too with all your gear.

I actually think 4K is no longer a pipe dream. It will definitely start showing up in home theater type of implementations. But will it ever go mainstream? I am not sure.
Meanwhile, the point about smartphone and tablet is not about them being hot, but these products are used as the source for running apps which will control many home appliances (washing machines, fridge and even cars!).

The biggest surprise for me at this year's CEATEC was, as I pointed out in the story, that so many devices in the CE world -- including cars -- are now becoming mere "accessories" to smartphones.
Imagine that.

In conjunction with unveiling of EE Times’ Silicon 60 list, journalist & Silicon 60 researcher Peter Clarke hosts a conversation on startups in the electronics industry. One of Silicon Valley's great contributions to the world has been the demonstration of how the application of entrepreneurship and venture capital to electronics and semiconductor hardware can create wealth with developments in semiconductors, displays, design automation, MEMS and across the breadth of hardware developments. But in recent years concerns have been raised that traditional venture capital has turned its back on hardware-related startups in favor of software and Internet applications and services. Panelists from incubators join Peter Clarke in debate.